Web feeding and conditioning device



. Nov. 7, 1939; J.w. SMITH I WEB FEEDING AND CONDITIONING DEVICE I FiledOct. 28. 1937 INVENTOR. BY V0171? I K /W/ffi 0 v VII g .N.. .Nrm.

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEB FEEDINGAND CONDITIONING DEVICE John W. Smith, Battle Creek, Mich., assignor toBattle Creek Bread Wrapping Machine Company, Battle Creek, Mich;

Application October 28, 1937, Serial No. 171,537

12 Claims.

Second, to provide a device of the type described having feed rollersand a surface traversed by the web under the influence of the feedrollers, the said surface being cooled to a substantial extent wherebyto condition theweb for feeding and wrapping.

Third, to provide a device of the type described having a surfacetraversed by a web or webs during feeding thereof and having meansassociated therewith for forming a thin coating of frost or ice thereonto condition the web or webs and reduce friction incident to drawing ofthe web across the surface.

Fourth, to provide a web feeding and conditioning device of the typedescribed in combination with a wrapping machine for conditioning theweb prior to being wrapped.

Fifth, to provide a web cooling and conditioning device adapted to beassociated with a feeding and wrapping machine.

Sixth, to provide a web conditioning device adapted for use incombination with a web feeding and wrapping machine, the said devicebeing cooled and shape to contact a web or webs passing thereoverthroughout a relatively large area whereby to efiectively cool andcondition a wax coating on said web.

Further objects relating to details and economies of my invention willdefinitely appear from the description to follow. The invention isdefined in the claims.

A structure embodying the features of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation partially broken away and in verticalsection on line I-! of Fig. 2, illustrating details of my device and itsassociation with means for feeding a web of waxed paper and for cutting,forwarding, and wrapping the web material around an articleto bewrapped.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in end elevation illustrating the'coolingor conditioning device of my invention'in association with the web andweb feeding means.

This invention relates in general to wrapping machines and "moreparticularly to the usual web, cutting the same into sheets,- andforwarding them to the wrapping instrumentalities. It is generally knownthat in feeding wax paper from= a web roll, cutting the web into sheets,and feeding the sheets into wrapping position, numerous difiiculties areencountered. This is especially true when the temperature of the room inwhich the operations are performed is elevated or when the temperatureadjacent the paper for any reason approximates the melting point of thewax. Under such a condition, the paperbe'comes limp or weak and oftencannot be advanced by the rollers or belts usually employed, withoutbuckling, or it sags and becomes displaced when delivered to position toreceive the article to be wrapping mechanism, so that the paper willcling to the same instead of feeding correctly into the machine.

It is likewise a fact that under the conditions noted the cutting knivesare apt to become fouled provision of cooling or conditioning means fora web'or webs of paper employed in a wrapping machine. It broadlyresides in the idea of cooling the web or webs to a temperature lowerthan the normal room temperature before the same enter the feed rollersand, more specifically, in employing a cooling'element with which thepaper contacts, the. temperature of which is reduced sufiiciently tocausea thin coating of frost or ice to be formed thereon. Aside fromthenovel' association of a frosted surface traversed by the web prior toentering the wrapping machine, my invention contemplates the formationof said surface in a novel and improved shape to facilitate passage ofthe web-thereacross, both the shape of the surface and the coating offrost or ice thereon facilitating the passage of the web, The

thin coating of frost or ice on the conditioningelement prevents thepaper from sticking thereto; that is, itlubricates the element anddecreases the friction of the paper sliding thereover.

Referring to the drawing, .the reference numeral I in general indicatesa suitable wrapping machine having an elevating plunger 2 adapted toelevate an article such as a loaf of bread 3 through a chute 4 intocontact with a sheet of wrapping material 5 and through the foldingelements 6.

The reference numeral 1 indicates a bracket suitably supported on themachine frame 8 carrying at its outer end a core 9 on which is wound aweb H] of waxed paper such as is employed in the wrapping of loaves ofbread, boxes, containers, and the like. Web In is threaded between apair of feed rolls ll, l2 of which the former is mounted on a shaft 13driven by a suitable means (not shown) and the latter is rotatablymounted on spindle l4 and resiliently urged into contact with the web bymeans of suitablecoil springs I5.

Roller II is intermittently driven to advance the web a predetermineddistance by timing and controlling means of well known type which it isnot thought necessary to particularly describe.

A suitable length of the web being fed by rollers H, [2, a cutting knifeI6 is actuated upwardly from beneath the web to sever the same against astationary cooperating shear blade l1. Knife I6 is reciprocated by meansof an arm i8 connected to the knife support l9 and pivoted to themachine framework at 20. At its opposite end, arm l8 has a follower 2|cooperative with suitably driven cam 22 to actuate the knife in themanner described so as to out sheets 5 of predetermined length from theweb at timed intervals.

Upon leaving cutter IS, the sheets are forwarded by a suitably drivenbelt 23 into position for wrapping. The pivoted idler rolls 24 rest onthe sheet during forwarding thereof by belt 23 and a gauge stop 25positions the sheet 5 properly above chute 4 and below the wrappingelements 6.

, For the purpose of properly cooling and conditioning web in prior toentry of the same between feed rollers I I, I2, I mount a cooling unitgenerally indicated 26 between the web reel and the said rolls. a webcontacting surface which is gradually curved and which extends parallelto the web travel at 28 so that web ID in passing thereover will engagethe box over a substantial area and across the entire width thereof toinsure effective cooling action. Box 2'! has arranged interiorly thereofa cooling coil or equivalent element 29 containing a refrigerant andextending outwardly of the box. The coil is connected with a suitablerefrigerating device-(not shown) whereby the interior of box 21 iseffectively cooled.

' The cooling is carried out to a degree suflicient to cause a thincoating of frost or ice to be formed on the exterior surface of box 21.This frosted or iced condition, as well as the formation of the box inthe shape shown and described, is essentially important in my inventionsince I have found that the surface of frost or ice prevents the paperfrom sticking to the cooler and lubricates its passage thereover whilethe particular shape of the box likewise materially tends to facilitatethe said passage. Obviously, the frosted surface is highly effective insolidifying the wax web coating,

It will be evident that if desired a refrigerating unit of differentshape could be employed, such.

for instance, as a rotating refrigerated roll. However, a rotary elementmay be found impractical due to difficulty in maintaining such a memberThe unit is in the form of a box 21 havinga stationaryunit is moreeffective not only because of its simplicity but also because of thefact that the passing web is continually in contact with the sameportion of the cooler. This results in the formation of an even coatingof frost or ice. This uniformity of surface may be caused by theexclusion of atmospheric moisture from between the web and surface ofthe box traversed thereby, but in any event a stationary unit hasadvantages over a moving cooling surface. However, my invention consistsgenerally in the location of a refrigerating unit having a frosted oriced surface in advance of the feeding and/or wrapping instrumentalitiesof the usual wrapping machine andI desire-to claim the same as broadlyas the scope of the appended claims allows.

I am aware that it is old to utilize cooling instrumentalities forsealing wrappers after the same have been formed around an article andsubjected to heat to unite overlapped portions thereof. Likewise, I amaware that it is known to-cool the surface of a web immediately afterthe same has been subjected to a hot waxing operation so as to solidifythe waxed coating. However, I believe the provision of a cooling elementin combination with a wrapping machine utilizing a reel of previouslywaxed web and the positioning of the element as shown and described andmaintaining the temperature of the same at the de-' sired point to benovel with me. 'I'e aforesaid provisions eliminate the many difficultiesof feeding a waxed sheet into the machine by stiffening the same so thatit is not only readily advanced by the web feeding means, but is alsoconditioned to be most effectively folded by the wrappinginstrumentalities to which it is fed, and does not foul the operatingmechanisms. For this reason, I desire the cooling device of my inventionto be regarded not only as a cooling device, or solely as an adjunct tofeeding instrumentalities, but also as an exceedingly useful element ofa wrapping machine cooperable with the other elements thereof as a.whole.

I have illustrated and described my improvements in an embodiment whichis very practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe otherembodiments or adaptations as it is believed this disclosure will enablethose skilled inthe art to embody or adapt my improvements as may bedesired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

. 1. In a wrappingmachine, including means for supporting a roll ofwaxed paper, rotary means for intermittently feeding a web from saidroll, intermittently operable cutting means for severing lengths fromsaid web disposed at the rear of the feeding means, means for foldingsaid lengths around an article to be wrapped, and means for forwardingthe lengths to said folding means; a conditioning device for cooling thewax on said web disposed in advance of and close to said feeding means,comprising a cooling box between said roll and said feeding means, saidbox contacting the web throughout the entire width of the latter andbeing shaped to contact the web over a substantial area during thefeeding thereof, and a refrigerating coil in said box, said box beingsufficiently cooled thereby to present an external coating of frost orice at the surface con-' tacted by the web to facilitate feeding of thelatter.

2. In a wrapping machine, including means for supporting a roll of waxedpaper, means for intermittently feeding a web from said roll, in-

termittently operable cutting means for severing lengths from said webdisposed at the rear of the feeding means, means for folding saidlengths around an article to bewrapped, and means for forwarding thelengths to said folding means; a conditioning device for cooling the waxon said web disposed in advance of and close to said feeding means,comprising a cooling element between said roll and said feeding means,said element contacting the web throughout the entire width of thelatter during the feeding thereof, and a refrigerating coil in saidelement, said element being sufiiciently cooled thereby to present anexternal coating of frost or ice atthe surface contacted by the web tofacilitate feeding of the latter.

3. In a wrapping machine, including means for supporting a roll of waxedpaper, means for feeding a web from said roll, cutting means forsevering lengths from said web disposed at the rear of the feedingmeans, means for folding said lengths around an article to be wrapped,and means for forwarding the lengths to said folding means; aconditioning device for cooling the wax on said web disposed in advanceof and close to said feeding means, comprising a cooling element, saidelement contacting the web throughout the entire width of the latterduring the feeding thereof, and a refrigerating coil in said element,said element being sufflciently cooled thereby,- to present an externalcoating of frost or ice at the surface contacted by the web tofacilitate feeding of the latter.

4. In a wrapping machine, including means for supporting a roll of waxedpaper, means for feeding a web from said roll, cutting means forsevering lengths from said web to which said feeding means delivers,means for folding said lengths around an article to be wrapped, andmeans for forwarding the lengths to said folding means; a conditioningdevice for cooling the wax on said web disposed in advance of thefeeding means, comprising a refrigerated element between said roll andsaid feeding means and in contact with said web, said element beingshaped to contact the web over a substantial area during the feedingthereof, said element presenting an external coating of frost or ice atthe surface contacted by the web to facilitate feeding of the latter.

5. In a wrapping machine, the combination of means for supporting a webof waxed paper in roll form, means for feeding the web from the roll,and means for conditioning the web for the feeding operation to preventmelting of the wax thereon, comprising a fixed cooling element having acurved surface in contact with the web throughout a substantial areaduring feeding of the web and refrigerating means inthe element adaptedto cool the latter, the surface of said element having a coating offrost or ice thereon to facilitate feeding of the web thereby.

6. In a wrapping machine, the combination of means for supporting a webof waxed paper in roll form, means for feeding the web from the roll,and means for conditioning the web for the feeding operation to preventmelting of the wax thereon, comprising a fixed cooling element having acurved surface in contact with the web during feeding of the web, thesurface of said element having a coating of frost or ice thereon tofacilitate feeding of the web thereby.

7. A cooling device of the type described for conditioning a moving webof waxed paper, comprising a fixed cooling box traversed by the webduring feeding thereof,said box contacting the web throughout the entirewidth thereof and having a gradually curved surface whereby to engagethe web substantially longitudinally, and a refrigerating coil in saidbox containing a refrigerant, said box having a coating of frost or icethereon to facilitate feeding of the web.

,8. A oooling device of the type described for conditioning a moving webof waxed paper, comprising a fixed cooling box traversed by the webduring feeding thereof, said box contacting the web throughout theentire width thereof and having a gradually curved surface whereby toengage the web substantially longitudinally, said box having a coatingof frost or ice thereon to facilitate feeding of the web.

- or ice thereon to facilitate feedingof the web.

10. A cooling device of the type described for conditioning a web ofwaxed paper, comprising a fixed cooling element traversed by the webduring feeding thereof, said element contacting the web throughout asubstantial area, said element having a coating of frost or ice thereonto facilitatefeeding of the web. r

11. In combination, a reel supporting a roll of previously waxed paper,means for feeding said paper, and means in contact with the paper tocool and condition the same, comprising a fixed cooling element normallyhaving a surface of frost or ice thereon, said surface being graduallycurved to engage the paper throughout a substantial area during itspassage.

12. In combination, means for feeding previously waxed paper, and meansin contact with the paper during feeding thereof to cool and conditionthe same, comprising a fixed cooling element normally having a surfaceof frost or ice thereon, said surface engaging the paper throughout asubstantial area.

JOHN W. SMITH.

